Saving Private Hive
by GRMartins
Summary: Set after the last Teen Titans Go! issue. The Teen Titans get an SOS call from an unexpected source. What begins as a simple rescue mission turns out to become a much bigger plot, with characters changing sides, forging new alliances and new threats lurking in the dark.
1. Prologue - A Call for Help

Prologue - A Cry for Help

"You called us?" Robin asked.  
"I did. Our systems detected something coming from an unknown source. Turns out it was a single file. An audio file."  
"And? What is it?"  
"You wouldn't believe if I told you, so I'll just play it."  
And he clicked the file. The audio was not great, but it was understandable.  
"I... I'm not sure I should be calling you, but... I have no one else to go to... they... they caught my squad! They're going to kill all of them! I'm in an old fort on the western coast of Kerveria! Please, help me!"  
And the file ended.  
"Kerveria? I do not remember such place. Where is it?"  
"A small country neighbour to Greece. Don't know much besides that, though."  
"So? Someone sent us a file asking for help. What's the deal?" Beast Boy asked.  
"That voice does sound familiar." Raven replied.  
"That's 'cause it is. I ran it through our database and got a match."  
"Well? Who is it that requests our assistance?"  
"It's Private Hive."


	2. Chapter 1 - The New Path of Private Hive

Chapter 1 - The New Path of Private Hive

"What?"  
"Private Hive? I hadn't heard of him since he escaped a few months ago."  
"So?" Beast Boy asked "We help him?"  
"He is a person in need. Helping people is what we do." Starfire said.  
"I don't know. It could be a trap. We don't have the best story with that guy after all."  
"I'm not so sure? Remember last time we dealt with him? He was commanding those Army Brats and tried to take Titans Tower."  
"Oh, right, when you had the Chicken Pox!"  
Robin scratched his arm, not amused. Even remembering the Chicken Pox gave him a scratch.  
"You're missing the point. He said he'd not abandon his men... he'd be a better leader than General Immortus."  
"But asking us for help? That's odd, to say the least."  
"He had no one else to go... I suppose his old buddies from Hive did not care for this message."  
"One of them did" a voice said and they turned to find Jinx coming in.  
"Jinx? Why did you come here?"  
"I didn't know if you got the message from Private Hive. I came to talk about it."  
"Kid Flash's not with you?"  
"Well... we kind of had an argument. He did not agree with me in the matter of helping Private Hive... but he was a good friend."  
"You know he's a bad guy, right?"  
"That was exactly what Kid Flash said. Besides... I'm not so sure about the 'bad guy' part."  
"Huh?"  
"Before I came here... I talked to Gizmo and Mammoth. I just asked them if they had heard about Private Hive and... Mammoth told me the last he had heard, Private Hive was out of the country."  
"It doesn't clarify that much... we should call the other Titans and see if they have had encounters with Private Hive lately."  
"We don't have time for that! Lives are at stake!" Jinx said "Look, I'm going. Are you joining me or what?"  
"I'll go." Raven said "If this is an ambush, you may need backup. If not... he sounds like he needs all the help he can get."  
"Call the Herald and ask him to get a portal. The faster you get there, the quicker we can unravel this."  
"May I have the honors?" Jinx asked.  
"Go ahead."  
"No, I have not heard of this Private Hive recently." Aqualad said "He hasn't been here in Steel City."  
"Pantha, have you met Private Hive?"  
"I have not seen or heard of him since we caught the Lanista."  
"Any requests?" Herald asked as soon as he arrived.  
"Eastern coast of Kerveria."  
"Well, let's make some music!" he said and blew the horn.  
"Thanks."  
"Nothin' to it!" he said and they both went through the portal that closed right after.  
"Jericho, have you heard of Private Hive recently?"  
Jericho shook his head negatively.  
"Kole?"  
"No, he hasn't been up here" she said "why?"  
"He requested the Titan's help. Just trying to retrace his steps to know whether he's still a bad guy or not. He simply vanished after a few months ago."  
"Well, I have no idea. Sorry, guys..."

"Here we are. Kerveria."  
"Can you track him?"  
"I think I can... he's close, but..."  
"But what?"  
"...Nothing. Let us find him and deal with the rest later."  
"Up there! That cliff! There's an old fort there."  
"It could be the place."  
"Then we should get there - and quick!"  
"Wait" Raven said as she heard noise coming from some bushes "Company."  
"Just what we needed."  
"Identify yourselves!" a man said when he and another four soldiers came from the bushes.  
"We're Jinx and Raven. We're looking for Private Hive. Have you seen him?"  
"You're with that coward? GET THEM!"  
"That was not smart" Raven said and they both dodged as the soldiers started to shoot.  
"Pretty guns you have there, boys" Jinx said as she did sommersaults to dodge them "It'd be so sad if they went haywire, don't you think?"  
And with that, she threw some of her energy bolts that broke the weapons. The soldiers instantly dropped them and went to hand combat. with two of them hitting Raven's shields while Jinx dodged another two and the commander mounted another gun.  
"Don't know what your buddy did, but this doesn't look good."  
And then the commander took an energy shot at Raven that broke her shields and threw her back.  
"RAVEN!" Jinx yelled and then she was shot and thrown back, almost losing conscience.  
"What do we do with them, sir?"  
"The prison cells are filled with Hive's men. No survivors this time."  
But then a shield knocked a man out right in front of her and she heard a familiar voice.  
"Can't just... let you kill two lovely ladies... now, can I?"  
"Private?" she asked and looked up to see him punch another one of the soldiers, but then a third one kicked him on the ribs and he fell in pain.  
"No!" Jinx said and created a whirlwind that knocked off the nearest soldier and Raven threw a rock against the other one.  
"RETREAT!" the commander yelled, but he was the last one standing and Raven quickly cast a blast that threw him against a tree, leaving him unconscious.  
"Are you... okay?"  
"I'm fine. You should get some rest."  
"I... can't... my men... need me..." he said, but then he passed out.  
"How is he?"  
"Wow. A twisted ankle... a sprained arm... a couple of broken ribs... he should not be fighting."  
"Can you heal him?"  
"I can try. But not here. That old fort shoud provide us with a decent cover."

"Private Hive? Yes, I have heard of him, as a matter of fact." Red Star said, remembering.  
"You have?"  
"The city has been rebuilding ever since we got rid of that creature, but we had trouble - some assailants started to steal our supplies. I could not help directly, since I was in the middle of a mission..."  
"Don't tell me. He was one of the thieves?"  
"Nyet. One of the man financing the reconstruction hired a group of mercenaries to take down the thieves and Private Hive led them."  
"He's... a mercenary?"  
"I got back right after they were done and found Private Hive and his men collecting their payment. Things went a little messy, but then we cleared it out... he said, and I quote: 'messing with Titans has only brought me pain. I'm out'."  
"This story gets weirder and weirder..."  
"That was about two months ago. I did not think of it as important at the time. Was I wrong to judge it so?"  
"It's okay, Red Star. We only asked for Private Hive has sent an SOS for us recently."  
"An SOS from a former enemy? That is strange, Comrade Robin, now I understand your need for investigations!"  
"Wait, we got a call! It's Raven!"  
"Raven here. We found him."  
"And? What's his story?"  
"Don't know. We were ambushed. He's in pretty bad shape."  
"Can you take care of him?"  
"I'll try. But things are pretty wild here, there was a guy with a gun that broke my shield. We'll need backup pretty soon."  
"Copy that. Star?"  
"I'm ready."  
"Good luck." Herald said and blew the Gabriel Horn.

"Star's coming. Seems the rest of them are still researching about him." Raven said, healing the man's broken ribs.  
"Ugh..."  
"He's coming to!"  
"Jinx... and Raven? My message... arrived?"  
"Yes, but it seems to me you have a lot of explaining to do. Beginning with why those guys were chasing you."  
"Oh, them... they're Ricard's men. Kerveria is in a war and I got myself and my men in the middle of it."  
"How exactly?"  
"After our last meeting... I decided I wanted to go as far away from the Titans as possible. So I got my top students back from the Army Brats and built a mercenary group - the Hive Corps. We had several sucessful missions here and there, until we were hired by Prince Randall to take back the throne his uncle stole from him. But those guys were like nothing I have ever seen before - you saw how that gun broke through your shield. They captured my men and the last one used a smoke cannister to help me retreat... I came back to this fort, but they ambushed me here and gave me these injuries and I have been trying to hide in the forest ever since."  
"And you called us."  
"I had to. I sent messages to every Hive classmate I could think of, but none answered... and it did pain me to resort to you guys, but... it is not for me. It is for my men that I do this."  
"That's not as bad as I thought."  
"Wait! I hear something coming from outside!"  
"Be careful... Those guys have stuff that can mess with your powers."  
"Hey! Private! You in here?"  
"Wait... that voice..."  
"Mammoth?"  
"Jinx? Did not expect to see you here and - whoa!" he said "A Teen Titan? I'll take care of her, take Private and run!"  
"Save it. I'm not here to fight. I'm here to help."  
"And in case you have forgotten, I'm a Titan now too." Jinx said, showing her communicator.  
"Oh. Right. What is going on here?"  
"When none of you answered... I had to call the Titans. I had no one else to go to."  
"Please keep saying that, it makes me feel so welcome."  
"Sorry. I shouldn't be complaining 'bout getting your help, huh?"  
"Right. I did what I could, but it's best you rest for the next couple of hours."  
"I'll try. Where's Gizmo and the rest of the gang?"  
"Didn't come. He said that when you decided you were done with the Hive Five, the Hive Five was done with you. Not me. I thought of how good you were of a fighter and well - an enemy that's got you cornered should be a challenge!"  
"He is. His soldiers have guns that can pierce my shield."  
"We can't stay here for long. They caught me here once, they'll come again."  
"Didn't you hear Raven? You have to rest!"  
"I can't... they're still in danger..."  
"Sound's like you did change. At least enough for me to stay here. I'll contact Robin."  
And she turned her communicator on.  
"Robin, it's Raven. Seems to me Private Hive actually changed."  
"It doesn't matter. Doctor Light sealed the tower with some sort of force field and stole Herald's horn. I sent Starfire over, but we're pretty much stuck here until we get him."  
"Hey, Rob! Could use some backup here!"  
"Gotta go. Take care."  
"One last thing, Robin."  
"Yes?"  
"Kick his ass for me, ok?"  
"Will do. Good luck, Raven."  
And he cut the call.  
"And? What's the deal?"  
"Star's still coming, but the others are stuck at the Tower."  
"Don't tell me that Gizmo's..."  
"No. Doctor Light. The coward must have waited for me to leave before striking."  
"Is it enough to beat that army?"  
"It will have to make do. Without the Herald, it'll take too long before anyone else gets here."  
"Wait, did you hear that?"  
"Wasn't me this time."  
And then a soldier appeared through the door, but before he could say anything, Mammoth tackled him and left him unconscious.  
"Told you they'd find me here."  
"We'll have to clear out. Mammoth, can you carry Private Hive?"  
"You joking me? I could lift him with one finger!"  
"Hey, I can walk, y'know?"  
"Your ankle is still in healing process. It's best you don't."  
"Fine. But I don't like this." he said as Mammoth got him.  
"Ready?"  
"Whenever you are."  
"Then let's get them out of here."


	3. Chapter 2 - The Nulifier

Chapter 2 - The Nulifier

"Beast Boy here."  
"Green One."  
"Hey there, Thunder. Need a help?"  
"We could use a hand. A man called for help saying a bunch of bad guys he got cornered in a fort started striking back and striking hard."  
"Where are you?"  
"Kerveria."  
"Raven's the one closest to your location. I'll contact her."  
"Thanks."  
"I'll call you back as soon as I got her answer. Gotta go, bye!"  
And as soon as he did, he was almost struck by a jolt of light, but he was able to dodge it by turning to a ferret and running.  
"What's wrong? Afraid of some light?"  
He turned into a snake and hissed before going to the villain, whom screamed like a little girl before using a flash that left Beast Boy blind and then ran away from him.  
"Ouch... better call Raven."  
And he got his communicator.  
"Raven."  
"Raven, it's BB."  
"Like I can't see you through the screen."  
"Hey! Thunder and Lightning asked for help to take down some bad guys more cornered than badgermoles back in Kerveria. Seems they's lashing out worse than a-"  
"Not gonna happen."  
"What? Why not?"  
"I'm one of the bad guys. We were rescuing Private Hive when they came. And Mammoth is here as well, long story..."  
"Oh. Well, contact Thunder. Maybe you can clear it out with him and - whoa! Seems like you're having trouble there!"  
"You think? Call me back after you've got that nasty man."

"Well? Are we getting help?"  
"Thunder and Lightning were called here. But to take us down. Can you two hold those soldiers back while I make a call?"  
"I'll do what I can."  
"Here, then." Mammoth said and left Private Hive down next to Raven.  
"Goddammit, I hate this! There's a battle out there calling for me, yet I can't do squat!"  
"I think there will be a lot of battles like this before we're done. This is Raven. Do you copy?"  
"Hey, Raven. Think you can lend us a help here?"  
"Not really. You got it all wrong. I'm at the fort and I came here to rescue him." she said and pointed to Private Hive, that didn't know what to do, so he just waved and gave a half smile.  
"Isn't he a bad guy?"  
"Not really. Now I'm the proud owner of Hive Corps, there for all you mercenary needs!"  
"That guy's for real?"  
"Strangely, yes. He was hired by a Prince Randall to attack and take his usurper uncle out of the throne."  
"But we heard that your guy was the usurper! What the hell is- "  
But then they heard a gunshot and communications were lost.  
"Thunder? Thunder, do you copy?"  
"Well, that's bad."  
"Tell me about it."  
"So, what now?"  
"We try to take these men out as fast as we can. Seems its not just your guys that are on the line anymore."  
"What about your friend? Y'know, the chick that's on her way?"  
"Thunder's communicator's out and it seems mine is now jammed. She'll have to fend for herself."  
And then the wall in front of them was broke and Mammoth was thrown through the hole, hitting the wall behind them.  
"They brought reinforcements!"  
"Seems like we've been out of action long enough."  
"So, got the doctor's clean bill of health?"  
"Not quite, but I think that if we don't act, there'll be no doctor able to heal us when they're done."  
"Well, what are we doing here?" Private Hive said, got up and prepared his shield "let's do this!"

"Finally! I could use some help here!" Jinx said as she went ahead and threw another pink wave that broke a tank, but that got her distracted and an energy shot threw her back.  
"Gotcha!" Mammoth said, grabbing her before she hit the fort's wall.  
"Get your hands off my girl!" someone said and Kid Flash was all over Mammoth.  
"Wait! He's an ally!"  
"What?"  
"He also came to help Private Hive. So, we're teaming up for now."  
"Whaat?!"  
"You heard me? What are you doing here, anyway?"  
"I knew you'd come and help him anyway! And here I find you, teaming up with a bad guy to save another one!"  
"Nice logic, 'xcept Private's not that bad anymore."  
"What, he's a hero now?"  
"God, no!" he said, appearing beside them and getting his shield back "but I'm no villain either!"  
"Then what is he?"  
"He's a sellsword. Nice catching up, but can't we do that after we deal with those guys?"  
"Hey, fleety-foot? You helping us or not?"  
"Huh, when life gives you lemons..." he said and started running, throwing two guys up with a couple of punches and going through their troops striking faster than the eyes could see.  
"Well, now I definitely think we've got a shot!"  
"He can't destroy those tanks alone."  
"Then let me at them!" Mammoth said and charged, breaking the first tank before it could shoot him.  
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven said and took a tank with her telekinesis, throwing it against another tank and they both exploded.  
"Good one."  
"BRING FORTH THE NULIFIER!" this troops commander said.  
"Nulifier?"  
"Sounds like something that will mess with our powers! Careful now!"  
"CHARGE!" he yelled and a jolt of that thing went forward, almost hitting Jinx, that used one of her sommersaults to dodge.  
"That's a big blast!"  
Raven tried something for a moment, but gave it up right after.  
"I can't dismount that thing. Seems like it's immune to my powers."  
"We'll have to break it the old-fashioned way, then! Take down the soldiers! Mammoth and I will deal with the machine."  
"Sounds like a plan."  
"Charge!"

"We got you cornered now, Doctor Light! Surrender!"  
"Oh, you're not very bright, kid!" he said and when Robin went ahead to strike with his bo staff, the man merely threw a light beam that stroke the Titan and made him roll back.  
"Come on! Sound trumps light anytime!" Cyborg said and used his sonic beam, but Doctor Light merely dodged it before throwing a light ball that made the Titan lose balance and fall.  
"Don't you get tired of saying that and being wrong? I know I would."  
"Come on. Let me turn you off!" Beast Boy said and charged as a rhino, but the man threw a concentrated light beam strong enough to stop the rhino and then another that threw him far back.  
"A frontal assault? You'll need more than that to take me down."  
"You think so? Because it went pretty much as planned."  
"What the hell are you... the Horn! Where is it?"  
"Cyborg was right" Herald said, showing up behind Doctor Light "Sound beats light anytime."  
And played the Horn, creating a portal that sucked Doctor Light's armor and left him defenceless.  
"Now tell us how to deactivate the force field!"  
"Uh... you can't."  
"Raven's not the only one that can scare you." Cyborg said, snapping his fingers.  
"I-I mean it! The device that controls it was in my armor! And now that it's far from our reach, it'll last until its batteries run out."  
"How long are we talking here?"  
"A couple of months, I think..."  
"We'll need a plan. Herald, take Cyborg out of here. He'll try and find a way to break the force field from outside. Beast Boy, go with him to the land where he sent the armor and retrieve it."  
"If I help... do I still have to go to prison?"  
Robin just gave him a bad look.  
"Oh. I thought as so."  
"I'll stay here and keep an eye on Doctor Light so he doesn't do anything funny and try to contact Raven or Star. Good luck."  
"To you too."  
And the three left.  
"Hey... where's your scary friend?"  
"Raven? In the middle of a war. A war we could be helping her with if you didn't came to distract us."  
"Where?"  
"Kerveria. Not that you care."  
"I may do so. And I may have some info that could shed some light on the matter."  
"Do you now? And what does Doctor Light gain out of this deal?"  
"Five minutes headstart?" he asked, hopeful.

"You're nagging behind! Come on!"  
"I'm going as fast as I can, sir!" Private Hive replied and saw that no soldiers had actually any chance of getting near them with the girls and that quick dude's interference.  
And then he reached Mammoth, that stopped because the Nulifier was pointed right at him.  
"Say goodbye to your powers, idiot."  
And shot. Private Hive did not know why he did that, but he pulled Mammoth back and was hit by the beam himself.  
"NO!"  
"PRIVATE!"  
When the beam was done, the man they went to rescue was on the floor, fuming.  
Which made it more surprising when he got up and smiled like nothing had ever happened.  
"There are no powers for you to take here, mate!"  
And threw his shield against the Nulifier, breaking the lens that shot the beam.  
"NO! YOU BASTARD!"  
"Watch your manners, soldier!" he said and punched the man "we've got ladies here!"  
"You're not getting away with-" another began, charging, but Private Hive attacked with his shield.  
"Drop and give me twenty!"  
"That sounds familiar. Never though I'd not hate to hear it, though."  
Then a third one shot him with an energy gun and we was knocked back against a tree.  
"You talk too much."  
"No, you did not!" Mammoth said and punched with such strength that the man lost his breath.  
"Private!" Jinx yelled and ran to him.  
"Don't worry... I just need a breath."  
"Thing you won't have" the commander said and slapped Jinx, getting her away, but before he could shoot, someone caught him.  
"No one messes with my girl!" Kid Flash said and left the passed out commander atop a tree.  
"That was the last of them."  
"Seems the locator's working again, even if the rest is not. Starfire's coming from northeast. We should meet her."  
"Let's get to it, then."


	4. Chapter 3 - The Abandoned Temple

Chapter 3 - The Abandoned Temple

"Duude, this place is weird."  
"It's my home."  
"Oh. Sorry."  
"Nah, I gotta admit, weird describes it well..."  
"So, where do we begin?"  
"There are weird creatures here. Let me track them. Something as odd as Doctor Light's armor falling here? It'll surely get their attention."  
"Well, your world, you lead the way."

"That is a tough wall." he said and prepared his sonic cannon for another shot.  
"Cy, any luck?"  
"Not yet, Robin. Still trying here, but I'm not sure if I can do this."  
"There's a weak spot on the field. It's located near our training grounds."  
"I'll look over there. How did you get this info?"  
"I... scanned the force field. Seems it is weaker there."  
"You made some sort of deal with Doctor Light, didn't you?"  
"Five minutes headstart. And he talked about Kerveria as well."  
"Really? What about it?"  
"He is not quite sure, but he suspects that the situation there may have the Brotherhood of Evil's finger on it."  
"What?! And we just sent three Titans in there?"  
"Six. Kid Flash rushed to aid Jinx and Beast Boy tells me Thunder and Lightning were called by someone there as well."  
"Aww, man! Y'know, for a brain in a jar, that guy doesn't think straight at all!"  
"Light says he's not completely sure, but he had his suspicions. If he is right, then we need to get as much help as we can."  
"Found the spot, Rob!"  
"Good. Attack!"  
And he threw another sonic blast at the metal ball, that broke and the force field seemed to flicker a little.  
"It's not gone yet, but I think I weakened it. Any other weak spots?"  
"The next one is on the roof. I'll have to deal with it. Search around, Cy, there may be others."  
"Will do. Cyborg out!"  
"So..." Robin said "you think the Brotherhood, evil enough to get you to flee, is behind that and yet you asked for something in exchange for the info?"  
"Hey, I couldn't just give it for free, could I? It'd be too... too... heroic to do so."  
"Whatever. Let's get to the roof."  
"I have to go with you up there?"  
"You think I'll let you outside my sight? Think again."

"Friends, you're safe!"  
"Starfire, what took you so long?"  
"I have company." she said and Thunder appeared with a sad face from behind some bushes carrying an unconscious Lightning.  
"So you found them."  
"Yes, but... I was too late."  
"When we were talking to you back at the palace... some soldiers overheard and ambushed us... they had these weird weapons... I was hit once and I could not fly anymore... but Lightning was hit twice!"  
"It's the Nulifier, sir." Private Hive explained "They developed some weird technology that seems to mess with superpowers and render them unuseable."  
"So... we're out for good?"  
Raven touched Lightning's shoulder and sighed, relieved.  
"No. Seems this portable Nulifiers are less powerful. The effect should pass in a couple of hours. For now, it is best we set camp and spend the night somewhere safer."  
"On our way here, brother and I found a temple hidden in the middle of the forest not far from where we are. We can take you there."  
"Sounds good enough to me. Lead the way."  
"So... what is the Mammoth doing here?"  
"Believe it or not, he's in for the same reason we are. To help Private Hive."  
"We can trust him?"  
"I'll keep an eye on him, but I don't think he's much of a threat, outnumbered as he is."  
And then all of a sudden Mammoth charged and both Raven and Starfire prepared to attack, but he went right past them and tackled a wild boar, that fled after the charge.  
"That one was close. Thanks, Mammoth."  
"It was nothin'!"  
"Over there, behind those bushes is an entrance."  
And so they went in one by one and when the last one entered, he covered the entrance again.  
"Cozy."  
"So... do any of you have any eats?"  
"I have some stuff here" Private Hive said, taking the stuff out of his backpack, including some fruits and a cannister "it's not much, but we'll have to make do."  
"Seems we have a lot of catching up to do. Starting with you, Mammoth. I don't think you were through with your explanation. Why are you really here?"  
"The Hive Five as you knew them... are gone. Gizmo replaced all our old allies with other guys. Weird guys. And he's more of a tyrant now, but y'know I have no shot if I go solo, so when Private Hive called, I thought maybe I could help him and then team up... so much for that plan now."  
"I did remember seeing new faces last time we faced in battle. What about your other allies?"  
"Haven't heard of See-More and Billy in months and... Kyd Wykkyd seems to have gone to another world to study magic... what was it now... eh, I can't remember."  
"And you, Private Hive? What brought that change of heart?"  
"Me? I only know battle as a trade, ma'am. And that thing your leader said last I faced him... I could be a better leader, but I blew it. I'm not the biggest fan of Robin, but he is a good commander and he was right. So I decided to become a leader that would never fail his men and well... facing the Titans never ever went well for me, so I had to resort to something else... but I failed my men yet again."  
"Not yet. When they attacked us, they said their prison was filled... with your men. They still live. We can still save them."  
"I'm not so sure. Now that they know I live and I have new allies... leaving my squad alive would be a bother in best-case scenario."  
The vibe became heavy.  
"This is not nearly enough for me! I'll see if I can capture that boar from before!"  
And Mammoth left.  
"We've got signal. Better call Robin and give him an update."  
"Robin here."  
"Robin, it's Starfire."  
"Good... you're okay! You found Raven?"  
"Yes, and also Thunder and Lightning. We're all together here, we, Jinx, Kid Flash, Private Hive and Mammoth."  
"Wait, Mammoth is there?"  
"He just left to try and catch a wild boar."  
"What is he doing here?"  
"He came to help Private Hive and try to team up with him in the life of crime, but that plan fell through."  
"Really? Private did change?"  
"I did, sir. You told me not to fail my men and until now... I had not."  
Robin smiled. Something good was happening there.  
"We have some bad news. The villains have a weapon called 'the Nulifier' that can disable superpowers. We broke the cannon, but they have hand guns with that effect. The only silverlining is that te portable version can only affect the powers for a short period of time."  
"Then I think Doctor Light may be right."  
"You defeated him?"  
"Yes, but we're still stuck here. The forcefield is still on and we are having to hit various weak spots to disable it. Doctor Light says he was offered a job at Kerveria, but refused because he suspected it was the Brotherhood of Evil."  
"What else did he say?"  
"That he thinks he saw Professor Chang there. And if that madman is there, whatever is going on is not good."  
"Call us back if you have any updates on the forcefield matter or any other info that Doctor Light seems to be giving around so thoughtfully."  
"Sure thing. Robin out."  
And then she turned to Lightning, that was left lying down. Next to him, Thunder waited anxiously.  
"Can you wake him?"  
"I could" she said with her hands on his head, examining "but it is best that I do not. His body shut down as a shock to losing not only its powers, but its deep connection with the nature. He should wake up as soon as his powers come back."  
"Oh, that's a relief to hear..."  
"Hey, I'm back" Mammoth said, carrying the dead boar "now let's light a fire and roast this thing."  
"Beast Boy would have passed out by now."  
And then Starfire giggled at the idea.

"I see a bunch of creatures there. Are they looking at what I think they're looking?"  
"Let me see." Beast Boy said and turned into an eagle that scouted the area. And then he flew back to Herald and took human form again.  
"There's something there alright. It's the armor."  
"Then we just have to go back there and get it."  
"I have a better plan. Prepare to open a portal to Titans Tower!"  
And then Beast Boy turned into one of the creatures.  
"Cool!"  
The green creature proceeded and got the armor, but then the others started to chase him, wanting their new toy back. Herald opened a portal as soon as he saw Beast Boy approaching and they jumped in, with the portal barely closing before a chaser could cross.  
"We did it!"  
"Yeah, but this thing seems kinda busted."  
"Robin left a note. He says he's up the roof."  
"And where's that Doctor Light?"  
"Must be there as well. Robin woudn't leave a criminal alone."  
"Well, we should get there, then... I don't know how this thing works, so we need to get it to someone who does."

"Glorious, you have yellow juice?"  
"Yellow juice?"  
"She means mustard."  
"Yo-you drink that?" Mammoth asked, shocked.  
"You are an odd girl, aren't you?"  
"Mustard... fruits... this stock of yours if kind of random, isn't it?"  
"I got it raiding one of Ricard's forts. It was right before I found you. I wasn't in my best conditions, as you know, so I just went ahead and got whatever I could."  
"You sound more... serious... grown."  
"Running a corporation does that to you, ma'am, even if I mostly delegate my tasks and am more of an action man."  
"By the way, nice thinking back there with the Nulifier."  
"I didn't know what I was doing when I did it, but hey, we found that thing's weakness."  
"It has a weakness?"  
"Well, if you do have powers, it is devastating" Jinx said "but if you don't, it is harmless."  
"And since what I work with are skills and props, guess I'm your secret weapon."  
"He's coming to!"  
"Ugh... feels like I was trampled... what happened? Where are we?"  
"They hit you with a Nulifier weapon. When you lost your powers, you passed out with the shock. But it seems now they're back." Raven said when Lightning observed his hand, focused and sparks came from it.  
"Oh... so they were the wrong guys after all."  
"It gets worse.. This tech... it could prove Robin's suspicions that the Brotherhood is involved with this."  
"You mean this?" Private Hive said and got one of the guns out of his holster, making them all tense and both Thunder and Lightning, which had felt first-hand what that thing could do hide behind Mammoth.  
"Wait, wait, the safety's on."  
"Whoa, when did you get that?"  
"The guy operating the Nulifier had it on him, but he never had a chance to use it. Thought it'd be of more use to me than to an unconscious dude."  
"Though I do not approve of your habits, the results are pleasing."  
"Hold on to it. When Cyborg gets here, he can analyse it and find out a way to counter the effects."  
"Sure thing, ma'am. And if the Brotherhood are behind this, we can use it to attack some of their kind."  
"Dinner's ready!"  
"Finally! I could really use some food!"  
"Pass the potatoes."  
"Dibs on the ribs!"  
"Hey, you can't call dibs on the ribs! I brought this thing here, the ribs are mine!"  
"Oh, yeah? You'll have to catch them from me!"  
"Who's got the tomatoes?"  
"Here you go."  
And in the shadows, someone watched, unnoticed.

"You got the armor back... mostly. Now give it so I can deactivate the force-field and get out of here."  
"No way, Light. You think we're that stupid?"  
"Very well..." he said and pressed a hidden button behind his ear and the suit jumped from Beast Boy's hands and wore itself on Doctor Light. He then pressed the bulb symbol on his chest and the force-field broke itself.  
"Tell Shade that we're even!" he said and threw a lightbomb on the floor that left them blind for a moment and when they could see again, he was gone.  
"Slade?!"  
"No, man, you heard it wrong. He said 'Shade'."  
"Oh. That's a relief. But who's Shade?"  
"I don't know, but something tells me we'll know soon enough."  
"At least the forcefield is out. But this whole thing has been tiring."  
"Agreed. We depart to Kerveria next morning. After all, what can happen in one night?"


	5. Chapter 4 - Decision

Chapter 4 - Decision

"Uh...? A message?" Private Hive said, looking at the communicator he shared with his squad.  
"Hello, Private. I am disappointed to hear you work with the Titans now. You are making things very messy for me."  
"Who are you? What do you want?"  
"Oh, I want Kerveria. I want the Titans. You have the gun. You know what to do."  
"What if I refuse?"  
"Oh, the soldier wants a taste? I can give you that..." the voice said and the image changed to the headquarters of the Hive Corps. The man pressed a button and the whole base blew up.  
"There goes your base. Now, bring the Titans to me powerless by sunset tomorrow or I'll have to cut some throats."  
"NO!"  
"What can I say? You made our business messy, soldier, so I am not afraid to dirty my hands anymore."  
Private Hive sighed. On one hand were his men, to whom he had promised not to fail ever again and he already had done it twice by letting them be captured and their base destroyed.  
On the other hand, the Titans, that even though had been his enemies many times in the past, went to help him in his time of need. The man saw that indecision.  
And laughed.  
"Sunset tomorrow. It is up to you to decide whether I'll dirty my hands some more or not."  
And the connection was lost before Private Hive could say anything else.  
He looked again at the gun he stole. He had a decision to make.

"Well?"  
"I sent him the message. It is up to him to make the right choice."  
"He made it once. I would not be surprised if he betrayed those fools and became one of us once again."  
"What can you say?" the leader asked to a man that had been on the corner, quiet the whole time.  
The mysterious man smiled.  
"Private Hive. Somewhat unpredictable. I have watched him ever since before he crossed the Titans... but as you know, I watch everything and everyone, which makes my knowledge vast but somewhat shallow. This 'men' thing of his? A ruse, and a clever one. In the end of the day, Private Hive cares only for himself."  
"So we kill them all."  
"No, not yet. He may cross us for being deceivers should he join our side and find out we killed them. And do not be fooled, the boy will be of use."  
"I don't see that much use in him."  
"Aww, do we hold a grudge? He did halt your plans once, but it was more because you betrayed him rather than because of what you were to do. The boy has few values, but the ones he has, he has them rockhard."  
"You sound very interested in Private Hive. What if he opposes us? Will you cross us as well?"  
"Now, now, I would not go so far. I told you my loyalty lies where it shall be best rewarded. And now, it is with you."  
"It better be. No one ever crosses the Mastermind and lives."

"Time to go to Kerveria? You guys ready?"  
"Let's do this. Herald."  
He played the Horn and the three went in.  
"I contacted Argent and Jericho. They'll come and help you guard the Tower until we get back."  
"Don't worry, Rob. We got this."  
And the three of them got in and went to Kerveria, falling right outside the Temple.  
"Whoa!" Robin said and Beast Boy transformed into a monkey and hid behind Cyborg.  
"It's cool!" Thunder said "It's Robin!"  
"Oh, Robin!" Starfire said and hugged him, making him embarassed "I'm so glad you could make it! Are you okay?"  
"We're fine. You?"  
"We're alright. We caught a weapon from one of their soldiers, the one that affected powers. Private?"

"Private, give the weapon to Cyborg. He may be able to discover how to counter it."  
He got the weapon, but instead of giving it to them, he pointed it at Beast Boy and prepared to shoot.  
"What do you think you're doing?"  
"I knew it was a trap!"  
"Private, don't!"  
"They called me last night... the Hive Corps. was destroyed... they said that if I do not bring the Titans to them, powerless, they'll kill my squad by sunset."  
And the situation kept like that for a few moments, with every hero there prepared to strike him down should he fire.  
But then he dropped the gun and fell on his knees.  
"I'll fail them yet again, but... I can't do it. Even after all I had done against you... when I had nobody else to count on... you came to help me."  
"Uh... don't worry... we'll find a way to take them down." Robin said, confused on how to act at the time and relieved the outcome did not go for the worse.  
"First we must see how this thingie here works..." Cyborg said and got the gun from the ground, making a finger become a small screwdriver.  
"You must not open that thing!" a voice said and a dark tentacle took the weapon. The cloaked figure came closer and the tentacle went back to him, going inside his cloak and right after that, he let out a burp that smelled most foul.  
"Dude!"  
"It'd explode leaving almost all of you powerless for good."  
"How do you know that?"  
"Because I see many things, yes, many things indeed."  
"Who are you?"  
"My name is Shade. I believe Doctor Light did the small favor I asked of him, did he not?"  
"It didn't work, as you can see. We are here."  
"Oh, Robin. So fierce and confident... yet so misguided. Seeing you all together here now shows that my plan is working perfectly. That is, unless that doubt of Private Hive reveals to be enough for you to mistrust him."  
"You... talk about me, sir?" Private Hive said and his eyes looked up to Shade.  
"Yes" he said and his hand came out of the cloak. He offered it to him and helped him get back up "we all have our moments of questioning, moments of truth, if I may say so... what matters is not the doubt, but really if we do make the right choice. And he did."  
"What do you get by making us help him? Making Doctor Light halt us, eating that gun... you don't sound much like a hero to me!"  
"I'm not, Cyborg. Consider me... a player. And what I get? Oh, amusement. You guys are interesting to watch. Now, if you do not mind, I must take my leave or my absence will be noticed. Cheerio."  
And the man dove in his own shadow, leaving the old cloak behind.  
"That was... odd."  
"Wait, that guy ate the weapon and it didn't affect his powers?"  
"This whole thing just gets weirder by the hour."  
"So... I need to know now. Are you deserting me?"  
"You kidding? With that deadline, you need us more than ever."  
"And the Shade man was right. You did make the correct choice in the end."  
"Never thought I'd say that, but... thanks, Titans."  
"What's the plan?"  
"Thunder, Lightning, you have been in the castle before. What can you tell us about it?"  
"It's heavily guarded. They change rounds every four hours, and only one towers at a time."  
"Wait. Let me see if he can help" Private Hive said and got his communicator "Your Highness, do you copy?"  
"Private? Is that you? I thought you were..."  
"No, I am still ready and able, sir, even if my team is not. I called to ask if you know any weak spots for infiltration at Kervenia Castle."  
"Hm... I remember a service door the servants use. I liked to run through it to get to the city and meet people out of the princely life. And no guard ever got me."  
"Got it, sir. Can you tell us a more precise location?"  
"Oh, sure! It is on the northern wall, in a rare blind spot for the towers. But there is nowhere to hide, so you have to be quick."  
"Thank you, sir. We shall proceed with the invasion."  
"...We? Last I heard, your squad had been captured."  
"They're still captive, sir. I called some..." some what? Former enemies? Heroes? None of that would sound very believable to the prince, so he just said "...old friends. We are rushing this operation for they'll be executed at sunset."  
"That is awfully precise. How can you be so sure?"  
"The enemy contacted me. They asked me to betray you and sell my friends to spare my men, sir. And I regret to admit that for a moment... I thought of taking the chance."  
"That is very bad. I am dissappointed. Wait... are those behind you... Titans?"  
"Yep. They're the old friends I told you 'bout. Sure we had our fights back then, but I left that life behind me."  
"You're an ex-criminal! For the love of God, I can't believe I hired filth to save my kingdom! We're done, Hive! Forget your paycheck, everything! And don't you dare call me again, or I'll get my bodyguards to hunt you down!"  
And he cut the connection.  
"That was harsh." Jinx said, relating. As an ex-villain, she could relate to the pain of having others judging you for what you were rather than what you became.  
"Tell me about it. So, we proceed with the plan of seizing the throne?" Robin asked.  
"You asking me, sir? I thought you were the leader here."  
"I'm not. Like it or not, you have dealt with them for longer than me."  
"No. Change of plans. You help me rescue my squad and if the Brotherhood is indeed there, I help you take them down. An eye for an eye."  
"What about the throne?"  
"Ah, screw that. That arrogant twerp fired me, so let him get the throne himself, I couldn't care less."  
Cyborg shrugged.  
"Hey, we're about saving people, not entering in succession wars, am I right?"  
"He does have a point. We should deal with getting the squad, taking down the creator of this nasty technology and leaving. It sure wouldn't be good for the team to have a whole country with a grudge."  
"By the way, you got any spare batteries?"  
"Whichever kind you need, man! What for?" Cyborg asked, revealing his stash. Private Hive examined before picking a couple of rather common ones and attaching them to a hidded compartiment of his shield.  
"I updated this beauty here. Now, it's not only a boomerang-shield, but also a hoverboard."  
"Not bad... but why did you need my batteries?"  
"When things started to go awry for my squad, I gave them to a soldier so that he could power up his energy pistol. Needless to say, it wasn't of that much use."  
"So, what's the plan?"


	6. Chapter 5 - The Rescue

Chapter 5: The Rescue

_"Thunder, Lightning. I heard that together you can strike a mean weather, right?"_  
_"Sure thing. What is your request?"_  
_"A foggy or a very strong rain. The less those soldiers can see, the better."_  
_"Will do! They'll see what happens to those who dare attack Lightning!"_

A storm started to brew and soon, a cold, strong rain stroke, making every civilian in the area seek shelter.  
"Rain. This is a bother."  
"But no more than that" Mastermind said "It is not like this interrupts any of our master plans."

_"Okay, Kid Flash. I want you to take Beast Boy and go through the servants door and take down the northeastern and northwestern guards. Do it precisely and we'll have a good window to get in."_  
_"I'll do it in a jiffy!"_

"Ready?" Kid Flash asked to Beast Boy and the changeling became a small snake that circled around his waist without pressuring too hard.  
"Good luck." Jinx said and kissed Kid Flash, which made him blush and got Mammoth somewhat angry.  
"See ya in a bit!" he said after recovering from the embarassment and ran, passing the servants door so quickly that no one noticed anything.  
Beast Boy got down and turned into human again.  
"I take west, you take east! Go!"  
And Beast Boy had not even gotten to the stairs when he felt a gust of wind going right beside him and instants later, Kid Flash stopped in front of him and said:  
"Done. Give them the sign."  
"Aw, man, couldn't you just leave one for me?"  
"You were slow, dude. Now, the sign."  
"Fine!" Beast Boy said, became an owl and flew around the towers once.  
"That's the sign. Let's move it!"

_"Robin, we're going ahead. Those weapons can't affect us, so its best we are the first line of combat."_  
_"What if they use regular weaponry?"_  
_"Raven, if you don't mind, I would want you on the hoverboard with me so you can raise your magic shields if they use weapons other than the Nulifier."_  
_"Fine. But no touching unless needed, got it, army brat?"_

"Activating heat-vision" Private Hive said putting on a set of goggles "need one, sir?"  
"I'll take it" Robin said and put on the goggles.  
"Ma'am?"  
"I won't use that. I'll be fine without it."  
"Whatever suits you fancy." he said and they went through the door. Robin prepared a bunch of his projectiles and Private Hive got out a pistol.  
"No casualities."  
"I know, I know, its just a stun gun. Like in, 'I'll leave you unconscious but alive' kind of stun."  
"Good."  
"Duck!" Private said, got himself in front of Raven and received a frontal shot of a Nulifier pistol.  
"Will have to do better than that, soldier!" he said and then shot, shocking the man and leaving him unconscious.  
"Nice shot."  
And he and Robin must have knocked out about a dozen soldiers before they heard a bunch of clicking noises.  
"They're charging the Nulifier!" Robin said "Protect Raven!"  
"Sorry, ma'am, but this is for your own good!" he said, holding Raven tight as they hovered until they got into a cleaning closet and quickly shut the door for a moment.  
"Stay here. I'll help Robin shut that damn cannon down."

_"When the Nulifier cannon shows up and I know it will, me and Robin will distract it while Starfire and Mammoth do a sneak attack and crush it. But be careful. I fear the cannon's powers are more definitive than the guns."_  
_"I'll crush that thing to scrap! Lead me to it!"_

And so, Private Hive hovered around and kept shooting at the soldiers, proceeding after the land ones were all knocked out to approach the tower were the cannon lied and trying to strike everyone operating it.  
But it seemed this time they knew the ruse and they pointed it up. Starfire let go of Mammoth, that fell and caused a shockwave that knocked back three soldiers that he proceeded to take down, but did not had the time to fly away before the cannon hit her.  
"STARFIRE!"  
But there she was, flying well and she used her optic beam to break the whole thing, angry.  
"Oh, did I forget to mention that the Nulifier only reacts on earthlings?" Shade said as only his eyes and his smile appeared on Private Hive's shadow.  
"You did. That why that gun had no effect on you?"  
"Indeed. Oh, you better dodge that."  
And Private Hive dodged a falling piece of the cannon by hovering left, but he did not do that on his own command.  
"Whoa, you did that?"  
But Shade was gone.  
"Reinforcements are coming? So soon? Cyborg, it's your time to shine!"  
"I'm on it!" Cyborg said and ran to the main gates, closing them and putting on a set of eletronic locks as quickly as he could.  
"Got it! This will keep them locked out!"  
"Good! Jinx, block the servants entrance."  
"Will do!" she said and threw a couple of waves that knocked down a nearby tree and it fell in front of the door.  
"Oh, our guests think of themselves as so sneaky." a voice said and they all turned to find three characters looking at them: Ricard, the usurper; General Immortus and the Mastermind "but we have been waiting for you all along."


	7. Chapter 6 - Trickery

Chapter 6: Trickery

"Where are my men?"  
"Locked inside my carbonzing chambers. Last chance, Private Hive. Will you deny your allies here and pledge allegiance to me or I'll have to kill them."  
He knew he had to bend his knee to that man, yet he could not. He started to sweat as indecision came to him. He had to do it or he'd fail his comrades for the last time.  
"Indecision won't do" Mastermind said and his finger pressed the button.  
"WAIT! NO! I'LL DO ANYTHING!"  
"Whoops. Too late for that. I had high hopes for you, Private Hive, since I first met you. But it seems bad blood reveals himself sooner or later, huh?"  
Instead of answering, Private Hive got a Nulifier gun from the ground and tried to shoot the Mastermind, but his shaking and crying made him hit King Ricard instead, that fell on her butt (!) for it had actually been Madame Rouge masquerading herself as Ricard all along.  
"You vill pay for that!" she said, but when she tried to stretch her arms to attack him, they wouldn't go.  
"Nulifier gun, witch. How does it feel getting a taste of your own medicine?"  
"We retreat for now. To the laboratory." the Mastermind said and a platform appeared beneath their feet and flew away before they could follow.  
And then an army of twenty robots appeared as a farewell gift, but Private Hive's sorrow was replaced by rage and he jumped at them berseker, crashing them all into pieces before anyone else could partake in the action.  
"It's no use..." he said "they're gone. I failed."  
"I wouldn't be so..." a pale man with black hair that wore black clothes and sunglasses said, appearing behind him, but before the man could finish his sentence, the soldier took him by the collar and pressed him against a wall.  
"DON'T COME WITH YOUR RIDDLES, I AM SICK OF THEM! I JUST LOST MY COMPANY AND MY MEN, BASICALLY EVERYTHING THAT MADE ME THINK I COULD BE MORE THAN A CRIMINAL!"  
"If you would be kind enough to let me go, I have some important tidings to share with you."  
"Let him go, man. You won't get anything by crushing him."  
"WON'T I?"  
"Please, be gentle enough to let me go. I do not like to repeat myself."  
Private Hive finally let the mysterious man go and he had to take a breath before snapping his finger and letting a dozen men roll out of his shadow.  
"They... they're alive?!"  
"Mostly..." Shade said, feeling slightly sick. Sweaty humans that had been shut inside a prison were not tasty "They'll be feeling cold for a couple of hours, but that should pass."  
"Thank you, sir!" Private Hive said and unexpectedly hugged the man he almost choked not long ago.  
"Yes, yes, I am a thoughtful man, I know. Now let me go, I'm not that much of a fan of physical contact."  
"Oh, sorry 'bout that."  
"Now, what will you do?"  
"Sir? What's your orders?"  
"Secure the Kerverian throne and hold the castle until I get back."  
"Get back? From where?"  
"These guys saved not only you, but me as well. and now, they have a mission. I want to help them thwart the plans of the man that almost killed you all."  
"You really changed, didn't you?"  
"I got my reasons. He looked me down like I was nothing as he killed my friends... actually, why did you save them?"  
Shade smiled.  
"It seemed like a more amusing path than watching you break down. Now I'm going to their base to watch how this ends. Follow my ravens and you'll get there, easy. Cheerio."  
And melted into Private Hive's shadow, vanishing.  
"That guy is odd."  
"Tell me about it."  
"I don't know... he says he is only doing whatever amuses him and yet... I think he is struggling to choose between the path of a villain and the path of a hero, like I did."  
"Yeah. And good that I was there to get her along the right path."  
"Yet I had never seen him before, neither as a hero or as a criminal."  
"That is because until a short time ago, I believe, he was unable to do neither."  
"What do you mean, Raven?"  
"When I saw him in front of us, I knew. He was in one of my books."  
"In like 'there was a story about him' or in like that trapped as that creepy dragon dude?"  
"The former. His full name is Nightshade and he is a man that is one with the shadows. He was locked far away, in a room that eternally shone, unable to use his power for there were no shadows there. With the centuries, the light grew weaker, allowing him to watch, but not escape. I suppose this Mastermind character freed him and now makes him do his bidding, but shadows are quite tricky."  
"Hm... that Mastermind... it sounded familiar... his voice."  
"You think he's an old villain rather then a new one?"  
"One that probably leads this operation for the Brain. I wonder what kind of horror he is planning to let half his allies work with that weirdo."

"Bishop to D7."  
"Not so smart, Monsieur Mallah. Rook to D7."  
"How do you think our new guy is doing?"  
"He's giving us a day off. I don't care for him until he proves successful or a failure."

"You tellin' the prince his uncle's dead?"  
"Kidding? He threatened to have me killed should I call that number again!"  
"You should. Spoiled or not, he deserves to know."  
"Fine. But if he does have me killed, I'll come back and haunt you!"  
"We'll back you up." Jinx said and he called.  
"Your Highness?"  
"You again? I told you to lose this number!"  
"I have bad news. Your uncle is dead. He was never the usurper. It was a villain named Madame Rouge masquerading all along."  
"Now you try to win me back with lies? That's rich! I am not interested."  
"Then maybe I should seize this place and Kerveria for me. Great Commander Hive. Oh. That does have a nice ring to it."  
"Private!" a voice said on the back.  
"What, I'm kidding! Come on, a ruler? No, thanks, sounds like far too much responsibility!"  
"Anything else or can I send my bodyguards to kill you?"  
"Oh, just one more thing. If I am killed, a trigger in my blood will transmit a signal that will blow you up. I passed those tiny explosives to you when you signed the contract." Private Hive bluffed.  
"What is the meaning of this?"  
"Consider it a 'life insurance' for me. Now we have to beat down some jerks. Cheerio."  
And he cut down the connection.  
"Now I get why Shade says 'Cheerio'. It sounds much better than a goodbye."  
"That bomb thing... it's a bluff... right?"  
"Yeah, the guy fired me already, so I'll make him think twice before trying to kill me. That is the 'life insurance'."  
"So, what now?"  
A weird raven landed next to them and looked with curiosity.  
"You heard what that man said. Follow the ravens."


	8. Chapter 7 - Treason

Chapter 7: Treason

"There. That's his base."  
"Well, duh. It would only be more obvious if he had a sign saying 'Secret Lair' pointing to it."  
"Doesn't this seem... too easy?" Robin asked, carried by Starfire.  
"It is supposed to be" a voice said and a force field got them all.  
"Seems like we're trapped yet again." Lightning said as the force field flew inside the base and they were dropped in the middle of a stage.  
"Mammoth, where the hell are you?" Gizmo shouted from his communicator, angry.  
"Busy. Quiet down, midget!" he replied and cut the call.  
"Hello, my foes. So glad you could make it." the Mastermind said and rose his hand "now, Private. Show them your true colors. Kill the Titans and we will rule the world."  
And Private Hive struggled with his hand reaching towards his holster... but instead he pressed a button on his belt.  
"Sorry, Headmaster, you're not giving me any paychecks!"  
"Headmaster?" Thunder asked.  
"Brother Blood."  
"Seems my disguise was revealed" he said, but didn't take off the robe "Kill each other."  
"No can do! After our last fight, I built a sonic device that nulifies your mental powers. You lose."  
"Oh, Cyborg, always so hasty. You really think a smart man such as myself does not have a backup plan. General Immortus, reveal our new army."  
And the General pressed a button, which made several dozens of giant robots appear from trapdoors.  
"Robots? We can take them."  
"Wait, Robin. My sensors detect a high concentration of radioactive isotopes."  
"Indeed. Nuclear bots. If you defeat one of them, a reaction is triggered causing a 1-Megaton nuclear explosion. We both know how damaging that would be."  
"So, now you see? You can't defeat them, you can't let them leave this room and you can't outrun them forever. The vay I see it, it is the end for you Titans. But we have a shield that will let us live unharmed."  
"But why Kerveria?"  
"Why not? A small, but technologically advanced country with surprisingly big amounts of uranium to be explored."  
"It is the perfect place to begin a nuclear powerplay and quite good for finishing the Titans and three students that turned out to be traitors. Even if you get your friend Herald here, it will be of no use. I only wished Bumblebee was here so I could destroy all those who betrayed me with one strike."  
"I know someone who can stop the robots." the fourth character beside General Immortus said and took of his cloak, revealing himself as Shade.  
"You're one of them?"  
He ignored the question, instead saying:  
"Killed by an army of nuclear robots that can't be defeated? That is no fun."  
And every shadow in the place created tentacles and swallowed the robots until there was none left. Shade fell on the floor without strength to go on, drained.  
"You betrayed me? You're going to pay for this!" Brother Blood shouted as he grabbed Shade by the collar, whom was too weak to react. But then a shield knocked off the force field and hit Brother Blood weakly, just calling his attention.  
"Hey! That's my friend you're attacking! Release him!"  
"TITANS, GO!"  
"It seems my powers have returned me. Let me at them."  
"It is best we retreat for now. I know when I am outnumbered. Until next time." Brother Blood replied and pressed a last button that warped them out of there and made the base started to explode.  
"Man, he always does that!"  
"Come on, Shade!"  
"No. You will have to leave me here. Eating all those robots has rendered me unable to act and I am now too heavy for any of you to carry."  
"We can't leave you here! You saved my men, me... and it was you that moved my shadow so that I pulled Mammoth away and got hit by that beam that didn't affect me, wasn't it."  
"It was... no fun seeing Mammoth become crippled right at the beginning... Why are you looking at me like that?"  
"You are a hero, aren't you? You do not admit it, yet you have saved us so many times and stopped such a big threat that you can't not be."  
"A hero... that gets defeated in his first mission... kind of a lousy hero... now GO!"  
"But you will die if you stay!"  
"Dying is no fun... we'll meet again... eventually."  
And then Raven enveloped them and they left right before the big explosion that made the whole place collapse.

"That was close. So, what now?"  
"If we could get some rest, that'd be great!"  
"No can do." Robin said "Herald just sent me a message. Seems they're having to defend Titans Tower from the Hive Five and... oh, here it says he accuses the Titans of kidnapping Mammoth."  
"Aw, man! We have to go and clear that up."  
"We'll be there as soon as we can."  
And like instant, a portal opened close to them. They crossed one by one. Jinx and Kid Flash were the last ones.  
"Private? Are you coming or not?"  
"I'll stick around for a while longer. Thanks for the help."  
She nodded and they both crossed the portal that closed right after.  
Private Hive sighed as he saw a helicopter arrive at the palace and not because he'd have to deal with Randall again.  
But rather because of what he'd have to do after that.


	9. Epilogue - Things Change

Epilogue - Things Change

He felt strange. It was the first time in years that he went somewhere wearing a suit. But he felt he had to do so out of respect. And he found Prince Randall there.  
"You again?"  
"Hello, Your Highness." Private Hive said.  
"I already paid you. We're done."  
"I'm not here for that. I'm here to pay my respects as well. I almost had to bury twelve good men... and could not even do so for the one that saved them. Is that your father?"  
"Oh. No. It's my uncle. I hated him so much for taking the throne, but... it was never him. I'm here to ask for his forgiveness."  
"He must have already granted you. Death... it makes us see how much petty some of the things we fight about are."  
"You are wise. I am sorry I misjudged you."  
"The doubt is not what matters, sir. It is the decision that comes from it that does."  
And that brought him to his own doubts. The Hive Corps. was destroyed, but with the now Kerveria King's payment he had much more than enough to rebuild it or do anything... even nothing.  
So what path should he follow? Should he rebuild Hive Corps and be the leader of a mercenary squad again? Should he team up with Mammoth and become a villain, this time just for the adrenaline rush? Should he follow Jinx and become a Teen Titan as a way to thank for all their help? Or go in a complete opposite direction and do something else different altogether?  
He had no answer for that question so far.  
"Those were beautiful words."  
"A friend said them to me once, sir. I misjudged him as you did with me, yet in the end he saved us all..."  
And he looked at his own shadow and could swear for a moment that he saw a smile on it.  
He smiled back and suddenly, the weight of that choice was lifted from him.  
He knew what to do from now on, the path he wanted to follow.  
And the world felt like a better place now that he knew.


End file.
